KALAMAZOO -- Dog owners and buyers are being warned about a rare disease that has resulted in the death of two dogs in Van Buren County and been reported in dogs in three other Michigan counties.

Dr. Kenneth Main, a veterinarian at the Allegan Animal Clinic, said two dogs he was treating for canine brucellosis, a bacterial disease passed through breeding, were euthanized a month ago.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture issued a warning Wednesday after cases of the disease were found in three dog-breeding facilities in Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford counties.

People who have bought dogs from breeders and pet stores in the past few months should get the animals tested for brucellosis, Main said. The tests typically cost $20 to $30, he said.

"We were totally surprised by the results (of testing)," Main said of positive tests in the two dogs brought to his clinic. "This is the first time in my 36 years I have seen a case of it."

Symptoms of the disease in dogs are arthritis, eye problems and general malaise, Main said. He added, though, that the symptoms are not always prominent. "It could take a couple of years before you notice anything," he said.

More serious side effects of the disease include sterility in male dogs and aborted puppies in females.

While transmission of the disease to humans is rare, it is possible, Mann said. The disease is generally passed to humans through fluids infecting an open sore or cut, he said.

Some warning signs of the disease in humans include flu-like symptoms and enlarged lymph nodes.

Main said that the recent cases are a "reminder that it's (brucellosis) out there" and people need to get their dogs tested for the disease.